Antiphonary, by Girolamo da Cremona, c. 1470–80
Gallery mode Full size at the museum

Window mode follows your eyes with your camera, in this browser only: no picture or position leaves your device.

Antiphonary

follower of Girolamo da Cremona (Italian)

c. 1470–80

Medium
ink, tempera, and gold on parchment
Classification
Manuscript
Dimensions
Codex: 55.9 x 43.2 x 10.2 cm (22 x 17 x 4 in.)
Culture
Italy, Siena
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art, Medieval Art
Credit line
Gift of the Right Reverend William A. Leonard
Rights
Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Teens profiles and older: its museum says too little about what it shows to place it for younger viewers. How works are placed

View at the Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

The initial A with the resurrected Christ, shown here, was painted by an immediate follower of Girolamo da Cremona, who was likely working in Siena using the master's designs. Girolamo was intermittently active until 1474 in Siena, where he decorated choir books for the cathedral in collaboration with other North Italian illuminators. Antiphonaries like this one were usually made in several volumes for use by a clerical congregation. They were applied to the singing of the Daily Office, the cycle of daily devotions throughout the year. The chant introduced by this initial reads: Angelus Domini descendit de celo... (An angel of the Lord descended...). It is the First Matins Response for Easter.